


Jealousy

by Alliance (Xazz)



Series: Cypress Hall [45]
Category: Flight Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 12:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15194936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Alliance





	Jealousy

[Elspeth](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35116256) hated the curious part about herself sometimes. A good Paladin didn't question things. They were self-assured that things would be the way they were. But Elspeth was too curious for her own good.

She peered into her mother's room. She really should have just left it alone like Johanna had instructed her but she felt that since she obedient everywhere else she could be slightly disobedient in this. Her mother was out if North Face at the moment, dealing with something on Which Island. She wasn't sure what exactly. Something about Jessabelle ruining Shai’s perfectly blended tea by adding sugar to it. Something foolish like that. Her mother being gone was the only reason she felt even remotely safe prying like this. Otherwise she would have never.

Inside Johanna’s room it was almost strictly utilitarian. Everything had a place and there was no clutter or mess on the floor. All her weapons and armor was cleaned and hung up properly and any personal items were stowed in containers or on shelves hung on the wall. Anything dangerous was far out of reach of anything smaller than her which for Johanna was important now. Elspeth hardly glanced at the things around the room and instead her eyes were drawn right on a made nest in the corner. It was made of blankets and surrounded by a wall with little balls of light hanging above it like a mobile. She could just sort of see the rise and fall of a scaly flank huddled in the nest.

Stealing one last look behind her to assure herself her mother wasn't home she stole inside and gently closed the door behind her. She padded over to the nest and peered over top. Sleeping in the mess of blankets was a little Guardian, curled around a plush toridae that looked like Vex had made it so fine was the stitching and craftsmanship. Elspeth wasn't a tall girl but she still loomed over the hatching who was sleeping soundly. She frowned  _ deeply _ . This is what had happened because her mother had slept with that young Guardian she hadn't recognized.

Elspeth knew, reasonably, that it was none of her business. But that didn't mean she didn't feel a bit jealous of her mother having a new baby. She'd grown up with her father in another clan but had asked incessantly about her mother growing up until her father had finally told her where she could find her. But she'd never been raised by Johanna and Johanna wasn't exactly a super dotting and nurturing woman to a half grown child like Elspeth had met her as. She couldn't help but think that was she not a good enough of a daughter or Paladin that Johanna had had another child. Another girl by the looks of it and the way the spines along the Guardian’s back curved. 

She crouched on side of the nest, looking in, scowling a bit. She was more than a little jealous of the new baby and Johanna seemed to be taking good care of her already. She hated feeling resentment for a child but she couldn't help it. Elspeth was a good daughter. She should be all Johanna needed. Right? What was the point of training her so much if Johanna was just going to replace her?

Her frill went up when the baby moved in the nest and opened her eyes. They yawned and huffed, slumping against the side of the nest. She watched as they used their wings to scratch their neck and couldn't help it. She snorted when the baby guardian couldn't hold her head up because her head was a bit too heavy for her neck and she ended up headbutting the side of the nest. That drew the hatchlings eyes and she looked at Elspeth, her Light eyes reflecting her own.

“Ammy?” [they](http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=143&bodygene=22&breed=2&element=8&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=31&tertgene=5&winggene=19&wings=51&auth=2461446fa2c10ae72c5eddcdf34bbcb3416f354d&dummyext=prev.png) asked her. Elspeth scowled. This little thing wasn't  _ allowed _ to be cute like this. “Ammy ammy,” and they shuffled over to her. Elspeth pulled away when the hatching tried to reach up for her. “Ammy ammy,” she squeaked again.

Elspeth frowned at the hatchling again. “No. You don’t get to be cute with me,” she said.

“Ammy ammy,” the hatchling grabbed the side of the nest and pulled herself to an unstable standing position on her rear legs. “Ammy ammy ammy,” she blathered. Elspeth had  _ no _ idea what that meant. She really should leave before her mother came home. She knew her mother well enough to know she would track when her child napped and when she needed to be home. Johanna would probably be on her way home now.

Elspeth turned and went back to the door. She cracked it open to check outside and practically slammed it closed, putting her back to it. Johanna was  _ right _ outside. She hadn’t even had a chance to see what her face looked like. She’d just closed the door because she knew she was in  _ so _ much trouble.

Several seconds passed before there was a soft tapping on the door. “Elspeth, that’s my room,” [Johanna](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=172145) said in a bit of a lyrical tone. Elspeth squeezed her eyes shut miserably. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Her mother was standing in her armor, her hair graying hair in a practical bun high on her head but not totally severe. She didn’t look angry but she didn’t look amused either. “What are you doing in here?” she asked patiently. She didn’t fold her arms but Elspeth got the auditory visual of it.

“I- uh-” she swallowed. “I just wanted to see,” she said.

“Hmm,” and Elspeth wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. She gently pushed Elspeth aside and closed the door. Elspeth didn’t dare leave. Her mother wasn’t mean but she was strict. Johanna gave a slight sigh as she undid the side buckles of her breastplate and pulled it off her chest and the big gauntlet that was both decorative and functional to give her a mighty swipe with her otherwise delicate humi hand. She put the top of her armor on a stand and stepped out of the boots she put underneath before coming back over to Elspeth. “Come here, sweetie,” she said and that was when she knew she wasn’t in trouble.

Elspeth allowed herself to be led over to the nest again. The hatchling was now very excited seeing her mother was back. “Ammy ammy ammy,” she blathered, her tail practically wagging. Johanna sat on the edge of the nest and the hatchling immediately draped half of herself over Johanna’s lap. She was about the size of a big dog and holdable but wouldn’t be for much longer. At least not for Johanna’s breed.

Elspeth stood in front of her awkwardly. “Her name is Victoria,” Johanna said and gently scratched Victoria on the eye ridges. “Your sister.”

“I know she’s my sister,” Elspeth huffed.

“Why did you sneak into my bedroom?” Johanna asked her mildly while Victoria happily rubbed her face all over their mother. Elspeth just looked down at the floor. “If you were curious about her you could have asked. She’s your family.” Elspeth still said nothing and was stubbornly keeping her frill still. “Are you upset you aren’t my baby anymore?” Her frill flinched back a bit without her meaning to.

Elspeth was surprised when her mother got up from the edge of the nest and hugged her. She hugged her mother back tightly. “Why do you need another daughter?” she asked quietly.

Johanna found that amusing. “Honey, you two aren’t even my only daughters.”

“What?” Elspeth pulled away to look up at her, not understanding.

“You think I have gray hair for aesthetic?” she teased Elspeth and Elspeth was so  _ shocked _ it took her a minute to register it as gentle teasing. “I’m very old, honey,” and she gently pet Elspeth’s hair. “You have  _ many _ siblings.”

“What?” Elspeth blinked a bunch, not quite understanding. “W-where are they?”

“They all live their own lives. They lived with me, I trained some of them… others didn’t follow our path.”

“Oh,” Elspeth frowned.

“Some serve the deities directly. Some… well, I had to leave some behind.”

“Mother-

“You’re a good girl, Elspeth,” Johanna said gently and stroked her hair. “Daughter of my heart. Me having another baby makes you less of one too. She’s not going to replace you.” Elspeth looked away shamefully. She couldn’t believe she’d even considered that her mother was someone who’d do such a thing. Johanna hugged her again and she pressed against her mother for comfort. “Don’t worry, sweetie. You’ll always be my older daughter,” and she stroked the back of Elspeth’s hair. Elspeth nodded into her chest. Johanna let go of her and she awkwardly rubbed at one eye feeling very silly and foolish for thinking her mother would just replace her with a younger girl. “Now do you actually want to meet your new sister?” she asked Elspeth.

“Yes,” Elspeth nodded a little and swallowed down her emotions because they were silly ones to have. She had no reason to be jealous or petty. “I’d like that.” Johanna smiled and guided her to sit down at the edge of the nest with her.


End file.
